1938-S Jefferson Nickel Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
⚠ Key date / rare varietyMintage: ~4.1 million struck
Estimated value · Source: USACoinBook price guide (updated Feb 2026)
1938 S Jefferson Nickel
Mint: San Francisco (S)
Worth selling
Worth selling individually: list it on eBay or offer it to a local coin dealer. Grading fees would eat the profit, so sell it as-is.
Value by condition
| Good (G-4, heavily worn) | $0.74 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.63 |
| Fine (F-12) | $2.50 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $3.62 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $4.96 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $5.63 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $19 |
First-year San Francisco issue and the lowest-mintage regular strike of 1938. A semi-key date worth a premium in any grade.
See the full page for this coin (mintage, how to identify it, where to sell)How to confirm it's genuine
- The mint mark is on the reverse, to the right of Monticello — a small D or S. No letter means Philadelphia. A magnifier with light at a 45° angle works best.
- Never clean the coin: cleaning destroys the original surface and can cut the value in half.
- For any coin worth more than $200, PCGS/NGC grading fees (~$20–50) are money well spent.
Where to sell this coin
- eBay works best in the $1.00–$200 range. Take clear photos of both sides in natural light, and put the year, mint mark, and approximate grade in the title.
- A local coin dealer is the fastest way to cash out, but expect 60–70% of guide prices. Best for selling common dates in bulk.
- Graded high-value coins do best at auction houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack's Bowers, where realized prices are public.